House Democrats wooed for votes

Sunday

Feb 28, 2010 at 12:01 AMFeb 28, 2010 at 12:54 PM

WASHINGTON - The future of President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul now rests largely with two blocs of swing Democrats in the House of Representatives - abortion opponents and fiscal conservatives - whose indecision signals the difficulties Speaker Nancy Pelosi faces.

WASHINGTON - The future of President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul now rests largely with two blocs of swing Democrats in the House of Representatives - abortion opponents and fiscal conservatives - whose indecision signals the difficulties Speaker Nancy Pelosi faces.

With Republicans unified in their opposition, Democrats are drafting plans to try on their own to pass a bill based on one Obama unveiled before his bipartisan health forum last week. His measure hews closely to the one passed by the Senate in December, but differs markedly from the one passed by the House.

That leaves Pelosi in the difficult spot of trying to keep wavering members of her caucus on board, while persuading some who voted no to switch their votes - all at a time when Democrats are worried about their prospects for re-election.

Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif., typifies the speaker's challenge. The husband of a family-practice doctor, he is intimately familiar with the failings of the health-care system. His wife "comes home every night," he said, "angry and frustrated at insurance companies denying people coverage they have paid for."

But as a member of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, Cardoza is not convinced that Obama's bill offers the right prescription. It lacks anti-abortion language he favors, and he does not think it goes far enough in cutting costs. So although he voted for the House version - "with serious reservations," he said - now the congressman is on the fence.

"I think we can do better," he said.

For the moment, there is no actual bill. The tentative plan calls for the both the House and the Senate to use a parliamentary device known as reconciliation to pass a compromise measure.

The tactic is intended to avoid a Republican filibuster, but in the Senate, the majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, faces challenges if he tries to use it. Reid is having trouble persuading a majority of his caucus to go along.

Publicly, House Democratic leaders are trying to sound upbeat. The House Democratic whip, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said last week that he felt "pretty good" about the chances of passing Obama's bill. But the leadership has not yet started counting votes, and a senior House leadership aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, conceded that rounding them up won't be easy.